"I'd love to hear what you have to say about the book The DaVinci Code"

Hello, Father. I am an orthodox Catholic who accepts all the teachings of the Church. I was just given the book "The DaVinci Code" as a present recently, and (if you're already familiar with it) I think you really ought to write a Catholic response to it. I noticed that on your website, you reply very well to books and movies and stuff that are anti-Catholic, and many of my Catholic friends just love this book. If you have not heard of this book, email me back and I'll explain to you what the deal is with it.

Also, the DaVinci Code pretty much slams Opus Dei. I'm not sure how much of what it says is true and how much is false, since this book very often combines truth and lies together without distinguishing them from each other.

I was under the impression that Opus Dei is a very orthodox Catholic organization, but the DaVinci Code portrays it as a terrible, oppressive group.

I went to several websites about Opus Dei (I was not able to access the official website), and one website's objections (brainwashing, etc.) correspond to those found in the DaVinci Code.

However, I don't really trust that website, because even though the author claimed to be Catholic, he said things like, "One who concentrates only on the unimportant details of the Catholic beliefs instead of the core of the messages of Jesus can not be tolerant towards other religions which may have the same core but other details." He also said, "I am a critical person and do not accept all the positions of the Church. In my opinion, the Catholic Church has accumulated a lot of dust that covers the joyful message of Jesus. Opus Dei is an organisation that adds to this dust and mistakes the dust for the message in a lot of ways. So by claiming to be Catholic this organisation brings my church into a rather bad light."

So basically, the author of the website I visited is written by someone who only thinks he is on the Church's side. But I've read your website, and I trust you, Father. What's the truth about Opus Dei?

Also, if you can find the time and if you wouldn't mind, I'd love to hear what you have to say about the book "The DaVinci Code."

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I have not read it, but I have requested it from the library. (I think I am about 150 in line, but there are a lot of copies in the King County Library system.) In Crisis magazine, Sandra Meisel wrote a rather devasting critique, Dismantling The Da Vinci Code.

I doubt I will be able to add anything to Sandra's critique, but will let you know. Blessings for the New Year,

Fr. Bloom

P.S. I only know a couple of Opus Dei people. They seem excellent to me, but apart from some very fine works, I do not know that much about the organization itself. Oh, and I have read Saint Josemaría Escrivá's The Way several times. A wonderful book - I am sure much more profitable than the Da Vinci Code.